Sometimes climate change may feel too big of a concept to wrap your mind around, let alone come up with solutions to tackle it in your own life. Yet, if you take a second to examine your own life, and start to make minor changes to your lifestyle, then you can make an active step towards fighting climate change.
One of the best things you can do to evaluate your impact on global carbon emissions is to calculate your “carbon footprint”. Your carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions you produce through travel, heating your home, and the food that you eat. Once you break down your contribution into a more “bite-sized” amount, you can see that the choices you make in your life matter in the overall fight against climate change. Therefore, you will see your personal impact and plan strategies to lessen your impact. This article will address strategies to figure out your carbon footprint, while also identifying ways to reduce your CO2 emissions.
What Is a Carbon Footprint?
Carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions from all the different activities of a person, business, or building. There are two different types of emissions that human beings produce: direct emissions and indirect emissions. Direct emissions relate to the burning of fossil fuel combustion in manufacturing, your home, and in your car’s engine.
Carbon footprint is the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions from all the different activities of a person, business, or building. There are two different types of emissions that human beings produce: direct emissions and indirect emissions. Direct emissions relate to the burning of fossil fuel combustion in manufacturing, your home, and in your car’s engine.
The average American has a carbon footprint of 16 tons, which is one of the highest in the world. The world average is 4 tons per year [1].
Your Carbon Footprint Isn’t Just Carbon Dioxide
Your carbon footprint isn’t just how much carbon dioxide gas you produce, but it also includes other types of noxious fumes, including methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gas. These gases act as insulators which trap heat in the atmosphere, and are attributing factors to global warming.
The Big Three of Your Caron Footprint: Travel, Housing, and Food.
The direct emissions that you create focus on the things that you consume, and the top three things that human beings consume are transportation, housing, and food. According to the EPA, 29% of total US greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation, making it the largest portion of the average American’s carbon footprint[2].
Where Can You Calculate Your Carbon Footprint?
There are several sites where you can calculate your total carbon footprint. One of the best can be found on The Nature Conservancy website [3]. It assesses your carbon footprint and begins by asking for your address. After discovering where you live, the interactive site asks, “How many people are living in your household?”. The assessment team uses it looks at the amount of travel, the size of your home, the food and shopping trips and then it finally provides your carbon footprint for you. It also gives you practical advice to take action to lower your carbon footprint.
Another place you can learn about your carbon footprint is found on the United Nations Carbon Offset Platform [4]. Offering a more simplified questionnaire than Nature Conservancy, the UN Carbon Footprint Calculator asks questions based on three categories: household, transport and lifestyle. At the bottom of every page, you’re provided with hints to strive for a carbon neutral life.
How Can You Reduce Your Carbon Footprint?
Once you found the number of your carbon footprint, you can take initiative more selective of the products that you buy. You are in charge of the products you use, and by changing some things in your routine, you can live a carbon neutral lifestyle. Here are the principal ways that you can cut your carbon footprint:
1. Reduce Your Travel
One of the easiest ways that you can help cut your carbon footprint is to reduce the amount of driving you do or to drive more environmentally friendly. According to the University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems, by simply observing the speed limit, you can improve your car’s fuel economy between 7 to 14% [4]. Not only does it save you money every time you fill up, but it helps to reduce your carbon footprint.
If you’re shopping for a new car, consider purchasing one that has better miles per gallon, or consider opting for a hybrid or an electric car. If you go the electric route, consider charging locations around your house and work. Remember the indirect sources of emissions in your life and consider whether the state that you’re in relies on fossil fuels to produce electricity.
If you prefer to go for a car which runs on gasoline, consider purchasing one with lower emissions. According to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [5], low emission vehicles are less expensive overall than cars that produce Greenhouse gas emissions. By taking into account the cost of the vehicle, fuel, and maintenance, hybrid vehicles and gasoline vehicles with low carbon emissions cost less in the long run.
Also consider taking an audit of the amount of air travel you take each year. The average domestic commercial flight emits 0.39 pounds of carbon dioxide per passenger mile [6]. Consider making fewer trips back to your hometown as a way to lower your carbon footprint.
2. Eat Less Meat
What you eat has a significant effect on your carbon footprint. Switching to a vegetarian diet can significantly reduce your carbon footprint. In fact, industries that produce meat protein account for up to 30% of the total amount of greenhouse gases of the average household in a week[7]. If that seems like something you’re not able to do, you can also switch to meats that produce less carbon dioxide. The production of beef produces 7.2 greater greenhouse gases than chicken. Also consider shifting to a vegetarian meal one day a week because this could save the same amount as driving 1160 miles [7].
Another way to limit your carbon footprint is to avoid wasting food. Greenhouse gas emissions are created during production, and by throwing away food, you can actually create more carbon emissions. The best way you can reduce the amount of food waste you produce every week is to look through your fridge or freezer and figure out what products you already have. Do your best to not buy more food than you need, or cook more food than you can eat. Also, remember to make use of your freezer to avoid letting food go bad.
3. Choose Energy-Saving Devices
A great way to lower your carbon footprint is to purchase energy-saving devices. For example, purchase energy-efficient lighting with LEDs and get rid of any incandescent light bulbs in your home which sap energy. Also, consider unplugging electronic devices when not in use, or use a power bar which you can switch off. Your devices are still using electricity when in standby mode.
4. Consider purchasing carbon offset credits from Be Neutral Now
A carbon credit amounts to one ton of carbon dioxide produced by companies and individuals. Carbon credits are a step to track and to limit the amount of the pollution that’s produced, from the largest companies down to every individual.
By becoming a Climate Warrior with Be Neutral Now, you’ll offset 19,698 pounds of carbon dioxide each year. This offsets the energy use for the average household for one year and the emissions from one flight a year, while also planting 12 trees a year.
Conclusion
There are many things that you can do to help limit your carbon footprint. From reducing the amount of air travel you go on every year to choosing to eat a vegetarian meal once a week, you can take an active step towards creating a carbon neutral lifestyle. One of the best ways you can do that is by purchasing carbon offset credits which can effectively offset the amount of carbon dioxide you produce each year. Through a simple subscription service, you can eliminate your carbon footprint and work towards being carbon positive in the year to come. If your New Year’s resolution is to live a lifestyle that promotes a sustainable environment, then contact Be Neutral Now.
References
- https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/
- https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change/carbon-pollution-transportation
- https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/
- https://offset.climateneutralnow.org/footprintcalc
- https://css.umich.edu/factsheets/carbon-footprint-factsheet
- https://css.umich.edu/factsheets/carbon-footprint-factsheet
- https://news.mit.edu/2016/study-finds-low-emissions-vehicles-less-expensive-overall-0927
- Boehm R., et al. (2018) “A Comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from US Household Food Choices.”
- https://css.umich.edu/factsheets/carbon-footprint-factsheet